The Steel Guitar Forum

My Hot Rod Deluxe has developed a very loud hum. It begins about three minutes after the amp has been turned on. the hum is just sharp of an open D on a guitar(in case this matters). When I shake each of the 2 power tubes, the hum kinda goes on and off. Anybody know what the problem might be here? The tubes are fairly new sovteks.

Hey Tony if the Tubes are new; than most likely you have dirty sockets.
Just take the tube....and pull it in and out 10 times in a row....but make sure you do it with the holding brackets pushed out...
Than pull out the tube....and push your metal brackets together so that they catch and hold the tube in place better...and push that baby on up there.
If that don't do it...than those sockets either need to be replaced or the bias needs tweeking for the new tubes and may of not been done in the first place....
Good luck.
Ricky

FYI, fixed bias on the Hot Rod Deluxe. Could be a filament ringing in a tube. Just because they are new power tubes, one of them could still be the problem. It's what's called "infant failures". Most electronic parts either die early or at the end of their normal life. Minimal part failures in-between.

Ricky, thanks a bunch. I'll try that tonight.

Michael, I assume "fixed bias" means that I can switch out tubes like light bulbs, without adjusting anything?